updated 05:05 pm EDT, Mon August 10, 2009

Microsoft update process

Late last week, software giant Microsoft announced in a US district court that it will change the way the express install works for Internet Explorer 8 with its Windows operating system, as per a Monday report. Microsoft has drawn flak for making IE 8 the default browser despite user's preferences whenever they ran the Windows Update and selected the Express install, with competitors Mozilla and Opera filing complaints.

In its antitrust report, the Department of Justice said users who clicked Express would lose their default browser, as Microsoft would make it go back to Internet Explorer 8 in that case.

"Even though it was possible for the user to revert to the original default browser, [the state plaintiffs in the antitrust case] were concerned that the Express process was confusing, especially for unsophisticated users," read the report.

The court ruled that users are required to get a clear representation of the choice they have when it comes to selecting their default browser before choosing the express install, and Microsoft will comply starting this week.

The antitrust status report also took into account a November 2002 decision by Judge Kollar-Kotelly that required Microsoft to fix bugs in technical documents. The plaintiffs in this case say they are happy with Microsoft's progress in resolving these bugs. A technical committee appointed by the court is expected to determine whether Microsoft's technical documentation is substantially complete by the end of the year, the report noted.

Another antitrust compliance hearing overseen by Judge Kollar-Kotelly is scheduled for this Thursday.

More recently, the European Commission filed an antitrust case against Microsoft, pushing it to offer a browser ballot to European buyers of Windows 7.